Tales from Cavalla: The Story of Jamie, Alyssa, and Clever Clarke
by Rare80
Summary: When the three tribes of ponies discovered Harmony, they left to a new land and called it Equestria, right? Wrong. Not all ponies moved to Equestria and live in harmony. What about the world they left behind? What's life like without harmony? This is the first of many stories I hope to bring from Cavalla. It's a world where danger, tragedy, and triumph are around every corner.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own anything of any published fictional work. All _My Little Pony_ names and places, belong to Hasbro, The Hub, and Lauren Faust. Any names, characters, places, or anything else in this story in relation to any person or persons, living or dead, or characters from anyone else's work is strictly coincidence.

Note: This is my first pony piece ever. Don't be too harsh.

**Tales from Cavalla:**

**The Story of Jamie, Alyssa, and Clever Clarke.**

It was nighttime in the forests of Central Cavalla. Grey clouds swirled up above, the sign of an upcoming storm. The clouds hid the stars and dimmed the light of the moon, making an already dark night seem even darker. Gusts of wind were blowing from the north, sending a chill air as it rustled the trees. The wind sent a creepy howl through the woods. Other than the wind however, the forest was quiet. Not a sound could be heard for miles. Suddenly, something breaks the routine silence of the forest. It was an unusual sound, the sound of an engine.

Jamie Montgomery sat in the back of a van as it went through the winding, muddy roads in the forest. The brown, lanky earth pony sat cradling his legs, uneasy, and a bit scared. Jamie was not alone the van. Of course there was the driver, and another stallion, a unicorn, in the passenger seat. Another unicorn was with him in the back, and along with him, over 30 barrels of cider. Jazz music played out of the radio in the front. The music brought a little ease to Jamie's worried mind. The unicorn in the passenger seat spoke up. "I can't wait ta get all dis cider to Ft. Gary. Dere is gonna be a big payout for all of yous, if yous can get it done." The remarks reminded Jamie why he was even doing any of this to begin with, for the money. Jamie let out a big sigh, and tried to focus on the reward instead of the risk. The ride was a bumpy one. The barrels were jumping, and bouncing off each other, but just a little.

The driver of the van pulled up to a fork in the road. "Take a left here." said the unicorn in the passenger seat. "Yes, boss." said the driver. Then the unicorn in the passenger seat used his magic to pull a cigar out of his coat. "Y'know… dis cigar was rolled with only da finest tobacco from da remote mountains of El Puerto Del Rio. Of course, we took over dat place over 20 years ago in The Great Cavallian War. Sure, thousands of ponies died, but for cigars like this, it makes it a war dat was worth fightin'." The used his magic to put the cigar to his nose. He took a big sniff then continued. "Just one of dees babies is over 60 bucks. I just bought a pack of 24 of 'em." He chuckled. "Y'see? "Dis is the life you can have in dis bidness. I'm pullin' out all the stops right now. I got da money, da cars, da mares, all you could ever ask for. Dis could all be yours; all yous gots to do is keep your mouths shut, and your eyes ahead, and do EXACTLY as I tell you." The unicorn then lights a match, cutting through the darkness in the van. As he lit the cigar, his face becomes illuminated. He was a dark blue, husky fellow wearing a trench coat and a wide-brimmed hat. He had thick eyebrows and a mean scowl on his face. He was Al Malone, the most wanted criminal in Cavalla.

Jamie had worked for Malone in one of the underground cider warehouses in the City of Lakeshore for a couple of months now. Cider has been illegal in Cavalla for about 20 years now. So, cider is illegally smuggled in from Equestria. "Everything is legal in Equestria." Jamie once heard Malone say. "Everything from cider to salt licking. If I could learn to put up with all those goody-two-shoes ponies, and dat awful princess of theirs, I'd probably change my name to 'Sunshine Sparkle' or something fruity like dat, and move dere." The cider is secretly imported from harbors in Liberty City, and Independence. It is then sent east to the warehouses in Lakeshore, and then distributed all over the country. This particular mission was from the city of Lakeshore to the town of Ft. Gary. In between the two, is the city of Riversdale. It would be near impossible to drive through Riversdale with 30 barrels of cider without getting caught. So, they detoured south through the Central Cavalla National Wildlife Preserve. The journey was longer, but completely incognito.

Malone himself was a mean fellow. He had the entire cider business under his hoof, everything from the docks, to the warehouses, to the ponies buying, selling and drinking. Even some of the police forces in some cities, where under his complete control. Everypony knew and feared Al Malone, so when he asked Jamie to go with him to Ft. Gary to drop off some cider, it's not like he had much of a choice.

"How's the new kid holdin' up, Muggsy?" Malone said with annoyed tone in his voice. "Oh, he's holdin' up just fine, boss. Just fine." said the pony riding in the back with him. The pony named "Muggsy" had a low, deep voice, and a tall round figure to match it. Muggsy didn't look like the cruel guy that Malone was, but it wouldn't be the first time that things weren't what they looked like. Muggsy gave Jamie an evil grin, which didn't make him feel any better. Just as Malone said, Jamie was the 'new kid' and had never been on one of these drop off missions before. He had no idea what would come of it. That is why he was so antsy. "How are we gonna get the cider into town once he get to Ft. Gary, boss?" belted Muggsy. "I told you a thousand times already, it's easy. I know a guy dat works for the FGPD, an' he's gonna make sure dat no one lays a hoof on us." Al sounded confident in his plan. "It's a good thing that you have a good cop on your side, this time around." added the driver. "Now you listen to me, George! Ain't no such t'ing as a 'good cop'! Sure, he's doing me a favor today, but t'ings can do south really quickly. Remember tis, the only 'good cop' is a dead cop." Malone took a puff from his cigar, and blew some smoke circles. Jamie sat there in silence. That was the last thing he wanted to hear.


	2. Chapter 2

"How far are we from Ft. Gary, George?" asked Muggsy. "Well, if we were to drive straight north right now, we'd end up in the far west side of Riversdale." said the driver. Jamie breathed a loud sigh. They were more than half way there. The jazz music faded out and a bulletin went out over the radio. "PRESIDENT HOOF PLANS TO TRAVEL TO INDEPENDANCE TOMORROW. HE WILL ADDRESS THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE CRIME RATE, FOREIGN POLICY AND OTHER PRESSING ISSUES. IN OTHER NEWS, THE CAVALLIAN BUREAU OF INTELLEGENCE IS ISSUING RAISE ON THE BOUNTY OF FAMOUS CRIMINAL MASTERMIND, AL MALONE. THE CASH REWARD ON HIS CAPTURE HAS BEEN RAISED FROM 3,000 BUCKS TO 5,000 BUCKS. IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE WHEREABOUTS OF AL MALONE, CONTACT YOUR LOCAL AUTHORITIES IMMEDIATELY!" There was a slight pause, and a calmer voice said: "Keep your radio dial locked here to the station that plays all your favorite hits. Broadcasting through Lakeshore, Riversdale, Brewer Bay, Ft. Gary, Iota Springs, Bison Creek, Otisville, Daytonsville, Waynesville, Grainsdale and all of Cavalla's Central District, radio KOMQ 580 AM" The radio then ended the bulletin, and went back to playing music. A softer jazz tune played.

"I hate this song." Malone complained. He took another puff from his cigar, and then abruptly shut the radio off. Jamie was little more uneasy now. The radio had kept him a little calm, and it was a lot better than just sitting in utter silence.

After sitting in the quiet van for a few minutes, something caught Jamie's ear. It sounding like another car was plowing through muddy trails of the forest as well. Jamie shut his eyes tightly, hoping that he was just imagining things. Maybe he was going crazy. The sound seemed like it was getting closer. Before he knew it, a car was following them out in the distance. "Alright boys, get your guns out." Malone said calmly. Malone may have been calm, but Jamie wasn't. Malone climbed into the back and brought his giant Vickers Machine Gun with him. Muggsy got out a rifle, and George had a revolver. Jamie didn't have a weapon. "Get the new kid to da front seat, Muggsy." ordered Malone. "Okay, boss." and with that, Muggsy picked up the frightened Jamie and threw him into the passenger seat of the van. Suddenly, a siren sounded. Red lights illuminated the back of the van. "It's the cops!" Muggsy exclaimed. "Y'know, I'd be lyin' if I told you dat I hoped dat dey wouldn't show up." A big grin appeared on Malone's face. "It's time to show dem what we're made of."

"Alright coppers!" Malone yelled, "Tonight you'll see why you don't mess wit Al Malone!" he then opened fire. RATA-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT! Jamie hid under the seat, and covered his head with his hooves. The sound of tires screeching and bullets flying filled the air. Jamie sat there, shaking in total fear. Jamie was sure that he was going to die, or get arrested if he didn't do something quickly. But what? Jamie decided to try his fortune. He opened the passenger side door, and jumped out of the van. He tucked and rolled and braced for impact.

He hit the ground with a big thud. The crack of thunder followed shortly afterwards. Jamie rolled into a ditch. He got back up on his hooves, and noticed that one of the cops had jumped out of his car. The cop leaped in his direction. Jamie took off, and galloped in the opposite direction. "Hey, You! Get back here!" the cop yelled at him. Jamie just kept on running. He galloped the hardest he could. The two kept on chasing after each other for a couple of minutes, dodging trees along the way. It was just when Jamie came on another road when felt something grab him and pull him to the ground. The cop had tackled him, and he had Jamie pinned to the muddy road. Jamie tried to weasel his way out. "Stop squirming!" the cop yelled. "I ain't going to jail!" Jamie exclaimed. "You should have thought of that before you started hanging around those buddies of yours." the cop snapped. Jamie looked down at the police officer's uniform. He had a name tag that read 'CASSIDY'. "Please, Mister Cassidy, let me go!" I never wanted in on any of this in the first place. I didn't mean to..." Jamie stopped his pleading. There has a rusting noise of into the distance, and then a loud roar, then a bright light pierced the darkness of the forest. It was Malone's van. It had managed to evade the cop car, but it was still coming quickly down the road.

The cop got off of Jamie, and ran to safety in the form of a nearby ditch. Jamie got up on all fours, but when he got a look of the van he stopped. Jamie couldn't move. He couldn't even think. He just stood there, his eyes fixed on the oncoming van. Suddenly, he felt a strong push from his side. He landed on the other side of the road, on his back, in a ditch. He was face to face with the cop who was lying on his belly on the far side of the road. He had realized that the cop has pushed him out of harms way, and was going to thank him. But then, the cop lets out a loud yell. The loudest yell Jamie had ever heard. He got up out of the ditch and noticed that Malone had run over one of the officer's hind legs. It had been mangled up really badly. The cop just lied there, shivering, and in immense pain. The tires of the van screeched, and came to a halt. "Kill dat cop!" yelled Malone. Muggsy loaded a revolver. Jamie stood in front of the injured officer, on his hind legs, front legs out to his sides. Jamie had a stern look on his face. Lighting struck a tree nearby. The storm was coming closer. "He's standing in front of the cop, boss. Now what do we do?" Muggsy asked Malone. He replied: "Ice 'em both."

POP! POP! POP! POP! POP! The cold of the wind and of the night was replaced with the intense heat of bullets piercing through his skin and burning his chest. He fell to his side. He heard the doors of the van shut, and then heard it drive away. Jamie lied there motionless. The pain was unbearable. He wanted to yell, but couldn't. All he could manage was a weak moan. He felt a drop of rain hit his ear. It then, proceeded to rain. The drop of water was soaking the already wet ground. Jamie felt a couple of drops of water. Then, he felt... nothing. His whole body was numb. He noticed he was bleeding out of his mouth, but he couldn't feel any of it. It was raining pretty hard; he could see it coming down. He laid there in utter hopelessness, wondering if he was going to die here. Then an overwhelming cold swept through his body, from his hooves to his ears. He felt like he had been shoved into a freezer. The longer the lied there the colder he got. His vision became blurred. He couldn't think straight anymore. He couldn't move. He couldn't breathe. He was gasping for air. Breathing heavier and heavier, but getting less and less air each time. Jamie wanted to give in. It had begun to overwhelm him. Just let it go, he thought. It's okay just let it go. Jamie took a big gasp of air, and then he closed his eyes. The sounds of the rain faded away to silence. Then it all went black.


	3. Chapter 3

Jamie opened his eyes. He saw a bright light. The light was so bright that it was tough to see anything else. Once he got used to the light, he found himself in a white room. He was on his back, and could feel something soft underneath him. He liked the white room. It was calm, quiet, peaceful, he felt a great sense of self. He then heard a voice. "So you've finally come around, huh?" said the voice. God? Jamie wondered. Is that you? Jamie couldn't see where the voice was coming from, but it sound vaguely familiar "I don't know if I deserve this." Jamie said humbly, "I got messed up in a lot of things, and did a lot of stuff I'm not proud of. But, I'm glad you've been kind enough to bring me here to this wonderful place." Jamie lay there in awe of everything. "Just be glad you made it. I did everything I could to bring you here." said the voice. Jamie was almost in tears. "You are truly a gracious and holy creator. I... I love you." Jamie took a sigh of relief knowing that now he was in safe hands. The voice spoke again. "I don't know what you are going on about. That must be the anesthetic talking."

"What?!" Jamie said, shocked and confused. The words didn't compute. He turned his head to see where the voice was coming from. He saw some wires, a wall, a window, a bed… it occurred that the white room he was in was a hospital room. Laying on the bed next to him was a light blue unicorn, he looked familiar, but he couldn't place him. Jamie stared at him for a few minutes. The unicorn gave him a worried look. "You're not gonna tell me you love me again, are you?" he asked with a chuckle.

Jamie rolled over on his back again. He was in complete disbelief. He had so much on his mind, so much to say, but could only manage to mutter a couple of words. "I'm alive". "Now you're getting it!" said the unicorn. "I radioed my colleague, as soon as I regained consciousness. We got you here just in the nick of time too, and later and…" the unicorns voice trailed off. Jamie then remembered who the mysterious unicorn was. He was the police officer that had chased him in the forest. "Your name was Cassidy, right?" "Yes. Sheriff Clarke Cassidy." The was an awkward silence for a few minutes.

Clarke spoke up again. "We thought we had lost you too. You were out for a long time." "What day is it?" Jamie asked. "Thursday." Clark responded. "So, three days, huh?" said Jamie. "No, it's the 17th" Clarke responded again. "Oh, so a little more than a week…" "No." said Clarke butting into Jamie's thought. "It's November." "WHAAAT?!" screamed Jamie. He was so shocked that he attempted to sit upright. When he did a sharp pain went through his chest. Jamie yelled at the top of his lungs. He then passed out, and fell back down on his bed.

Jamie awoke a few minutes later with a light head and an aching chest. He let out a loud moan. "You really threw a fit, didn't you?" joked Clarke. "What happened?" "You where out cold for two months, kid. You just can't get up, your body's not used to it. Good thing too, you could risk opening up some of your old wounds." Just then a doctor strolled in. The unicorn gave him a big smile as he walked by his bed. He looked down at his clipboard. "Uh… James Montgomery? Oh, there you are. Glad to see you're awake again. You seem to be in the middle of something so I'll be quick. Your surgery was a complete success, and you seem like you are healing up nicely. We will begin your rehabilitation sessions tomorrow at 8:30 in the morning so be up and ready for that…" "Rehabilitation? For what?" questioned Jamie. "We'll you were in a coma for two months, so that requires some rehab. You know, getting up out of bed, standing up right, sitting, walking.. Y'know, the basic things. Jamie folded his hoofs. An irritated look flashed across his face. "Well, we will see you tomorrow. The doctor left using his magic to shut the door behind him.

"Well he looked like a kind fellow didn't he?" chimed Clarke. "This is so ridiculous. I can't believe I have to learn how to walk again." Jamie grumbled. The was a short silence. "Y'know, you're not alone." Clarke said softly. The words didn't register to Jamie at first, but then he remembered. He remembered the leg Malone had run over after Clark had saved him. "How's your leg doing?" "I'm alright. It's taking a little longer to heal up than it should, but it's alright…" Clarke's voice trailed off.

"Hey, It could have been worse if you didn't stand up, and done the right thing." "Well you saved my life, it's only right that I do the same." Jamie responded. "No, it's not." Clarke's tone grew more serious. "I serve an protect. It's my job. It's what I get paid to do." But you? What would you have to gain by saving me? You and Malone would have gotten away cleanly, but you decided to take a stand. That's takes guts." "What happened to Malone anyway?" Jamie asked thinking nothing of it. Clarke suddenly grew really mad. He clenched his teeth, and with an angry tone. "He got away." The room grew quiet for a few minutes.

"So, uh… what's gonna happen to me now?" Jamie asked. "Are you gonna let me go, or is it straight to jail with me?" Clarke gave Jamie a straight face. "It's straight you jail with you." Jamie was in disbelief. After all I've done for him, Jamie thought. Jamie got more angry the more he thought about it. "Unless…" Clarke chimed in. "…you can do me a favor." "A favor? Haven't I done enough?" "No." Clarke stated. "He's still out there. And YOU know where he is!" The words shot a bit of fear up Jamie's spine. "No! No I won't! What if he finds out I squealed on him? Do you know what he'll do to me? You don't know what he's capable of!" "Listen to me, Bub." Clark interrupted. "You're my one good chance I have at catching his guy. So it for me, please? Do it for Cavalla. Do it for the greater good." Jamie rolled over in his bed, and faced away from Clarke. The room fell quiet for a few moments.

Clarke spoke up again. "You know uh… there's a 5,000 buck reward for any information leading up to the capture of Al Malone. You wouldn't want in on any of that would you?" Jamie rolled over again. "You'll spit the money with me?" Jamie asked, with his voice cracking. "No James, You can have all of it." "All of it?" "All of it. I'll even clean your record. Just catching this creep is the only reward I need." Jamie thought for a few seconds. It seemed too good to be true. "I'll do it, but with a catch. I want to be fully protected. I don't want to feel like my neck is out for everypony else. I want to know that I am safe." Clarke looked at him. His eyes grew wide. "After what you've done for me…. if Malone so much as thinks of hurting you, I'll break him. You have my word" "You have a deal." Clarke held out his hoof towards Jamie. "You're doing the right thing James." The two stallions shook hooves. "Call me Jamie."


	4. Chapter 4

A blistering wind from the west punctuated an already cold January afternoon. A yellow taxi pierced the wind and came to a stop at a red two-story brick house on the east side of Riversdale. Clarke got out of the passenger seat of the taxi. "Thanks for the ride." he said to the driver. Clarke opened the back seat, and Jamie slowly hobbled out. After almost two months in the hospital, Jamie was finally let go. He still had a lot of work left to do. Getting around was a chore, and he still needed to visit the hospital twice a week for rehab.

Jamie thanked the driver. The two proceeded towards the house. Jamie froze as soon as he got to the stairs. Oh, how he hated stairs! Since the surgery, going up and down stairs was a nightmare. "Do you need help?" asked Clarke. Jamie put his hoof around Clarke's neck, and he slowly led him up the stairs. A sudden gust of cold air blew in and filled the inside of Jamie's coat. It was the same coat he was wearing when he was shot. It was a thin flimsy coat already, and the bullet holes only made it worse. Sadly though, it was the only coat he owned. Jamie shivered and shut his eyes.

When they had made it to the top of the stairs, Clarke used he magic to pull out his keys. He unlocked the door and the two shuffled inside. "Well, we're here!" Clarke exclaimed. "The guest room is upstairs, just make yourself at home, I guess." Jamie looked around, he had never been to a house like this before. He was in awe of all the space. He couldn't believe how big it was.

"This place is like a mansion!" said Jamie in complete shock. "It's not Canterlot Castle or anything…" Clarke chuckled. "No, It's great! I can't believe you live here. I've never been in a place like this! Thanks for letting me stay here!" Jamie shouted clutching Clarke by the collar of his vest. "It's the least I could do, you can stay here while you rehab your hooves. Then, we can go after Malone." Clarke had a twinkle in his eye when he said that.

Just then a yellow mare came strolling down the stairs and into the living room. "What's all the commotion?" she chimed in. Her voice that an odd melody to it. She seemed completely happy and cheerful, something Jamie wasn't used to. "Jamie, this is my wife, Lauren." Clarke spoke up. "Honey, this is the kid from the hospital I was telling you about." "I'm pleased to meet you, Jamie." Lauren's tone then changed to a more serious one. "I couldn't thank you enough for saving my husband's life. I owe you a great debt." "How about you start repaying that debt by making us some lunch, huh?" Clarke joked.

Lauren made her way into the kitchen. Jamie limped slowly behind her. "What's cookin'? asked Jamie. "Uh… I was thinking about some noodle soup. What do you think, hmm?" Lauren smiled at him at a second, and then turned around to turn on the stove. The stove struck Jamie as weird. "I've never seen a stove like that before. Where does the wood go?" Lauren giggled. This isn't a wood stove, silly. It's a kerosene stove." The words didn't make sense to Jamie, and Lauren's cheerful tone of voice only confused him more. "Kero-what?!" exclaimed Jamie. "Kerosene! It's the gas that powers the stove." Jamie stood there slack-jawed, staring at the tin and porcelain marvel. The expression on Lauren's face turned from one of cheer to one of sadness. She quickly turned back around and continued cooking.

Lauren had left to run some errands after she had finished cooking. This left Clarke and Jamie by themselves. Clarke used his magic to finish the rest of his soup, and turned to Jamie. "You're not used to all of this, are you?" asked Clarke. Jamie looked up from his own bowl. "Um… no." The room got quiet after that. "There's no use in hiding things from me. The less you tell me, the worse this all reflects on you." Clarke was right, if Jamie didn't talk to him, he more suspicious he looks. Clarke is a cop after all. "I never had much in life." I sure you have a family that loves you, right?" Jamie sat there with his head down not saying a word. Tell me, Jamie, what happened? Jamie took a deep breath and proceeded to talk.

"Well, My dad had died when I was a foal, during the Great Cavallian War. So growing up, it was just me and my mother. We were never a wealthy family. We barely made it month to month. When I was in fourth grade, my mother died of a heart failure. After that, I lived with a kind of different family members, but I couldn't stay anywhere for long. I guess I was just a burden on everypony else" Jamie's voice trailed off. There was silence for a moment or two, and then he continued his story. "I eventually dropped out of school, and started living on my own. Life was tough living on the streets. I turned to purse snatching, to break-ins, or anything else just to make ends meet. After that, I went from pillar to post. So I guess I'm not used to all of this. Gas stoves, two-story houses, it's just all farfetched to me."

Clarke gave him a straight face, and put his hoof around Jamie's shoulder. "You're not alone, y'know?" Clarke said softly. "In my line of work, I hear stories like this all too often. But they always break my heart." Jamie couldn't look up at Clarke. His eyes stayed glued to the floor. "So, when Malone came up to you promising all of this money, it seemed to good to be true, huh?" "Yeah…" Jamie mumbled. That's what he does, he prays on the unfortunate to do his dirty work. He promises fame, money, and whatever else then he hordes it all for himself. That's why we gotta stop him." Clarke had a deep form of intensity in his eyes. "I'll get you out of this, Jamie. I promise."


End file.
